ENERGODAR /Zaporozhye region/, September 21. /TASS/. The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is capable of maintaining a stable external power supply for its own needs even without restoring the Ferrosplavnaya-1 reserve high-voltage line, which has been out of service for five months and runs from territory controlled by Ukraine, ZNPP Director Yuri Chernichuk told TASS.

"We can do anything. We only need the opportunity, for the shelling of the plant and the area surrounding it to stop. Then we will be able to do everything ourselves, without anyone’s help. We have sufficient resources, equipment, knowledge, and expertise to accomplish this entirely on our own," Chernichuk said.

On May 7, one of the two remaining 330 kV high-voltage supply lines, Ferrosplavnaya-1, was shut down by ZNPP’s protection system. The plant is currently powered by the second line, the 750 kV Dneprovskaya, which now provides for the facility’s internal needs. Earlier, ZNPP representatives told TASS that relying on this last remaining line creates a "permanently tense regime," since in the event of its shutdown, the plant must immediately activate powerful diesel generators to supply electricity to the pumps of the reactor cooling system.

Precedents of complete blackouts have already occurred on several occasions. For example, on July 4, following the disconnection of the Dneprovskaya line, ZNPP completely lost external power supply, and its internal needs were covered by diesel generators. Within a few hours, the Dneprovskaya line was restored to operation, and the plant’s external power supply was reestablished.